Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1887-08-23
PATHS HOME LIFE.
HOW THE GREAT SINGER WHlLES
AWAY THE TIME.

The Rather Nomadio Existence Passed
in Hotels and Palace Cars-Breakfast,
Luncheon, Dinner-Signor NicoIfni.
"Lalla Observation-Disclosures and Friends.
There has been great deal v gitten and
printed about Nine. PATHS home lie, as far
as the term can be applied to the rather
nomadic existence passed in hotels and palace
cara. As very few persons, however, have
been privileged TO note de visa the incidents
OF prima donna's daily routine, the pub
hshed stories have been rather interesting
than accurate. The reporters and interview
ers that have dealt with the subject at any
length have had to depend, in truth, more
upon their imagination than upon an abun-
dance Of facts. During Nine. PATHS soiourn
In the United States, which may be taken as
fair specimen Of her experience elsewhere,
her days have gone by with something akin
to conventual monotony
Awakening toward o'clock in the morn
ing, tho songstress takes cup of coffee before
leaving her bed chamber. The two or three
hours that go by before luncheon-the French
dejeuner Ia fourchette-are whiled away
with the maids, the Birds and the dogs, Sig
nor Nicolini appearing at intervals with a bit
OF gossip, a suggestion, or some startling in
telligence apropos Of a particularly long run
made at the billiard table. At noon luncheon
Is on the table. and Mime. Patti steps into
the dining room and claims her share of fish
and Of one dish Of meat, ending up with bit
OF fruit. The prima donna never eats bread
in its habitual form; the bread laid before
her is cut into thin slices and baked until it is
as hard as wood. She drives daily from to
4:30 or 5, and very little conversation is car
ried on as the carriage rolls through the park
or up the road as far as Judge Smiths pop
ular hostelry.
NINE. PATHS DINNERS
When Nine Patti is to sing in the evening.
she dimes at o'clock in the afternoon; when
she is not to perform, dinner is served at z
One or two friends are generally invited to
dine with La diva, and formality is avoided as
much as possible. The menu is made I'D in
the morning, and woe to the cook il all its
component parts are not prepared not merely
70 the queens, but to the songstress' and to
the tenor's taste. A great feature of Nine.
PATHS dinners Is the ice that is brought in at
that stage Of events at which the plebeian Ro-
man punch is habitually served. At the
Windsor this marvellous compound is called
A<&AAA1 AsNOhiip anu ltT DeuOOI the I'M
initiated it may be described as resembling
the more widely known "Pouding nessel-
brode," minus the fruit contained in the lat
ter delectable compound
SLalla Rookh" is the single subject, outside
OF billiards, upon which Sgnor Nicolini
wakes positively enthusiastic His admirers
will be panied to learn that owing to his ten.
dency to bilious attacks, his doctors have for
hidden him to partake Of his favorte delicacy
with anything approaching self indulgence. |
At dinner Signor Nicolini drinks claret. but |
avoids white wines. As for Mime. Patti. two |
or three years ago her physician prescribed |
claret, with view to enriching her rather |
impoverished blood. Just now no traces of |
anamla are perceptible, and Nine Patti hav-
ing wearied of claret is permitted to mingls |
q little whisky with her water at dinner only.
There is no such meal as supper in the Patti |
household, and by midnight Signor and Nine.
Nicolini have retired.
HOSTESS AND FRIENDS
In days set apart for performances Mime.
Patti never receives, and does little or no
alking. When she is not to sing in the even
ng She entertains her friends from to
'clock in the afternoon, and after dinner q
little music OF an out Of the way sort, /. e.,
nther playing, banjo solos and SO ON, by
lrtists who are only too happy to be asked to
meet la diva, is enjoyed by the hostess and
ler friends. The latter are not very numer-
nus, but they are Of long standing Many Of
hem belong to well known Hebrew families,
md nearly all are connected with the world
" finance. Mime. Patti has, practically, no
professional intimateS At distant intervals
he Is called upon by some artists that have
lnown her abroad, but it cannot be said that
my close acquaintance exists between her
md her brothers and sisters in art
Nor does Nine. Patti cultivate, as do most
myers and actors, the society Of journalists.
Those whom she has known and liked for
'ears are welcomed as friends, but in an
'vening conversation with them and others
here is no hint Of the hostess profession and
10 mention Of experiences or triumphs-
Nothing, In brief, to suggest that the artist
ares to supply material for a newspaper
rticle or for idle gossip. With her guests
lime. Patti prefers to converse in English.
which she speaks quite as fluently as If she
ad never left England or America. But she
rops into French, Italian and German with
erfect facility, always recurring to English
s soon as practicable. Mime. Patti strives to
iffuse the belief that Sgnor Nicolini under
lands the vernacular, if he does not speak it.
'ignor Nicolini, unfortunately, makes no
fort to keep up his wife's well meant and
innocent deception.-New York Sun.
Vanity Of Men Who Trar.I